Embodiments of the invention relate generally to systems for sensing analog control data, and more particularly to a system having a universal input channel that is configurable to allow one of several different analog input types to be received via a single set of terminals.
In complex control systems, such as those that monitor turbines and the like, it is typically necessary to monitor or sense different types of input signals, e.g., thermocouple inputs, RTDs (resistance temperature detectors), currents, voltages, and resistance. In order to accomplish this, different types of sensing modules are employed to sense different types of input. A common approach is to utilize sensing modules that have a fixed number of input channels (e.g., 24) for receiving a particular type of input. For instance, a first set of sensing modules may be utilized for sensing N thermocouple inputs, a second set of sensing modules may be utilized for sensing M RTD inputs, etc.
However, because each sensing module is manufactured with a standard number of input channels, each sensing module will likely be deployed with unused input channels.